Saved by the Bell
by sudoku
Summary: Stephen Strange attempted the hardest task in his life, making an A-Z list about Wong whom he barely knew. Then a mysterious woman rang the door bell and she dropped a bigger bombshell about Wong. A direct sequel to "A-Z of Doctor Stephen Strange'. Part 10 of "The Adventures of Stephen Strange and His Super Awesome Cloak of Levitation" series.
1. I'm an idiot

Not a native speaker and not betaed so if you find any mistake, please let me know.

* * *

I've been staring at my screen for the last 15 minutes in my study but no new words come to my mind.

Come on, Stephen! You can do this.

I'm a Master of the Mystic Arts. I've an MD and a PhD under my sash. Making such entries shouldn't be too hard.

Apparently encouragement can't be used to remove mental blocks. Otherwise, _A Song of Ice and Fire_ will be done by now and HBO doesn't need to improvise.

Focus, Stephen! Don't think about _Game of Thrones_ even though _Winter is Coming_ really soon.

I'm staring at my pitiful entries.

 _Astute: Wong is very astute. He knows I'm an idiot right from the start._

 _Beyonce: Wong is the Beyonce's biggest fan. I may or may not have anything to do with it._

 _Caring: Despite my idiocy, Wong is still willing to be my friend and coping with my idiocy daily._

I know those entries paint myself as the biggest idiot in the multiverses. Those entries are not as insightful as what Christine and Kamar-Taj people gave me yesterday, the one titled "A-Z of Doctor Stephen Strange". But again I'm a doctor and now a sorcerer, not a poet. If I were good at literature, I'd have become a best-selling author rather than fighting monsters on daily basis.

I'm blaming Wong for my current _predicament._ He presented the list of what other people and myself said about me. I jokingly told him I'd make a list about him and he took it seriously. Well, he might've taken it seriously but I really couldn't tell with his poker face. Ah, that's right. _Poker_.

I'm typing the new entry into my laptop.

 _Poker: Wong would win big time in Las Vegas if he ever took up gambling._

That gave me an idea. I don't have to do this A-Z in order. I'm using a word processor. I can just insert a sentence in between other sentences. I also don't have the time to get ink and a scroll like what they did for me. Besides, my shaking hands would make a seven-year-old look like a master calligrapher.

To be fair to Wong, I got myself in this pickle because of my own arrogance. I only gave myself a 24-hour deadline to finish this task before I think about how to defeat Thanos again. I then procrastinated and ended up making a spell for vanishing sparkling vampires in the first 6 hours after a lot of trials and errors. I went to sleep for 7 hours afterward. Apparently Christine somehow managed to program Friday to remind me that I hadn't slept for the last two days due to the Thanos business. She said she already made an agreement with Sophie. She would drag me to bed by force if I haven't slept for two nights in a row and I need to sleep for at least 6 hours. So I gave in to save my dignity. I added 1 extra hour because I was exhausted.

By the way, Sophie is the name of my Cloak of Levitation. Don't judge me. I'm sure Thor and Captain America also name their hammer and shield secretly.

Sophie is also sentient. She has been out of my sight in the past hour but apparently she heard my thought about her. She is peeking at the door at the moment. Now, she is flying to settle on my shoulders.

See, she is sentient so I'm not crazy in naming her.

Where was I? Oh yes, I ended up battling some monsters from some other dimensions in the next 5 hours after doing some intensive research from _The Book of the Vishanti_ about the demons' origin and weaknesses for one hour.

I've been trying to work on the list for the last 30 minutes after the battle. If I don't finish this in the last 4.5 hours, I'll lose to a standard I set for myself. That's unacceptable.

OK, I don't have to do this in order. I could start from what I know about Wong, which admittedly not much but that's a start. I guess I just need to brainstorm and see what I come up with.

 _Librarian: Wong is a very good librarian. He takes his role very seriously._

 _Dedicated: Wong is very dedicated at his role as a librarian. I haven't seen any librarian like him._

Again, the library at Kamar-Taj is very different from the rest of the libraries in the world so he needs to be vigilant. That's right. _Vigilant_.

 _Vigilant: Wong is very vigilant about his books and the things he cares about._

 _Maim: Wong is a super librarian. He may or may not have threatened to maim me if I don't return any books on time._

Yes, I know. The list doesn't only compliment Wong but also mention his other less desirable qualities but again the list about me is not all rainbows and unicorns either. I actually haven't met any unicorn in my short time as a Master of the Mystic Arts so I can't confirm its existence.

Focus, Stephen!

 _Zen: If people claim that Stephen Strange is Zen, then Stephen Strange says that Wong is definitely Zen._

 _Human: Despite his powers, Wong is very human. He anchors me in daily matters when I have my head in the clouds._

 _Stoic: Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries should put the picture of Wong next to the word stoic._

Wong is also loyal but I've used the letter _L_. I should check thesaurus.

Sophie helpfully opens my thesaurus at the word _loyal_. I sometime wonder how she manages to spell and read. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on who you're, she spells better than some people I know.

OK, synonyms for _loyal_ are _faithful_ and _dependable_. I could use _faithful_.

 _Faithful: Wong doesn't easily believe in something but once he makes up his mind, he is faithful to the end._

 _Kungfu: Jackie Chan and Jet Li have nothing on Wong about kungfu._

 _Orderly: Wong organize his life and books in orderly manner._

How many letters do I have left? I haven't done E, G, I, J, N, Q, R, T, U, W, X, Y.

OK, it's less than half but now I'm stuck.

 _Dingdong, dingdong._

Saved by the bell.

I didn't even know that we have a doorbell. Wong said he had put a spell to discourage people who don't have any good intention to even notice the Sanctum.

Sophie is flying away from me toward the front door. She must be really bored. I guess I need to open the door the old-fashioned way by walking downstairs first. I need the exercise anyway.

When I reach the door, Sophie is flying back to settle on my shoulders. At least she has the decency to pretend to be a normal cloak. Or she just doesn't want to open the door. Cloakspeak is really hard. I need to check with Thor whether Allspeak also speaks cloak.

I open the door to find an elegant Asian woman dressed in a blue T-shirt and jeans.

"Is this the New York Sanctum Sanctorum?"

"Yes, it's."

"Ah, you must be Doctor Stephen Strange. Wong has said so many things about you."

He never said anything about you, whoever you are. "I hope they're good things."

She just smiles in response. "Can I come in? Wong said he would meet me here."

"Sure." I step back to allow her to come in before I close the door. "Do you want to wait in my study? I'm in the middle of something."

"Does it have anything to do with Wong?"

My jaw just drops open. How did she know?

"Oh, don't worry. It's nothing magical. Wong knows you well enough so he knows what you're up to. I believe I can help you."

"I certainly need all the help I can get. And you are?"

"I'm Imei Chang, Wong's fiancée."

My jaw drops open the second time within ten seconds.

* * *

Notes:

-This is the first time I write using the first person POV. I want to emphasize Stephen's cluelessness and dorkiness. I hope it works.  
-I don't think George R.R. Martin have any writers block. That comment is just Stephen being clueless.  
-I also apologize about Jet Li and Jackie Chan. They are definitely kungfu masters. Please ignore Stephen's comments.  
\- I blame this fic on KarToon12. She "prompted" me to write the sequel. She gave me the idea about Imei visiting the Sanctum although how it turned out is not exactly what she had in mind. She also helped me by suggesting the words don't have to be in order. She also suggested the words "astute", "Beyonce", "librarian", and "zen".

-As for the rest of the words that Stephen haven't written, you're welcome to suggest. If I use them, I'll credit.

-Thor's hammer is called Mjolnir. I know that and have used the fact in some other fics. In here, Stephen just meant what Thor called Mjolnir in private for his ears only.  
-Feedback and comments are appreciated.


	2. Dorkiness is my nature

-Unbetaed so please kindly point out any mistakes.  
-Warning: A bit of language, nothing you woudn't see in the comics.

* * *

I ask Imei to follow me to the library. She is sitting on a chair opposite my laptop.

"Ms Chang, I'm going to let Wong know that you're here."

"Just call me Imei. How are you going to contact him? Telepathic messages?"

"Nah, I'll just utilize modern technology. Friday, please contact Wong and tell him that Imei has arrived in my Sanctum." I return my attention to my guest. "Every magic has a price so I only use it when necessary. Now let me fill in the _I_ entry."

 _Imei Chang: a very fine fiancée of Wong. They are a match made in Kamar-Taj._

"Did you just use my name to fill in the entry?"

I'm surprised that I still can blush. "Yes, sorry about that. Do you mind?"

She smiles. "I'm honored. You're much more interesting than Wong's description."

I look up from my laptop. "Is that good interesting or bad interesting?" I don't know why but somehow I want her approval like I want Wong's. I must have gone soft after going to Kamar-Taj. Doctor Stephen Strange doesn't need any approval.

She shrugs. "I don't know. Good, I guess. You're much dorkier. That's a good thing. You don't pretend to be someone you are not."

I breathe a sigh of relief. Dorkiness is indeed my nature. "Where are my manners? Do you want some tea? I'm afraid we only have tea, no coffee or other beverage. Ah I know, _tea_."

 _Tea: Wong is an expert in tea. He knows a thousand types of tea and how to brew them properly._

Imei smiles. "I'm fine. Thanks. Wong says that you're very task-oriented but I don't know the extent until now. May I look at your entries so far? Perhaps I can help?"

"You can have a look but please don't laugh. This is not my best work. Not that I ever write such a thing before." I turn the laptop around for her to look.

She keeps smiling as she reads my entries. Not sure whether it's a good thing. "What kind of Master of the Mystic Arts are you?" She wipes an imaginary tear as she finishes. "I really like the _kungfu_ , _poker_ , and _stoic_ entries. If you ever decide to quit from being a sorcerer, you can become a comedian."

I actually perk up as I hear that. "Really? Wong told me I wasn't funny."

"Funny is relative. You really are not what I expected. What kind of Master of Mystic Art are you?"

I exaggeratedly puff up my chest (I really need to work on my physical comedy). "A practical and effective one, despite my unconventional methods that are frowned upon. You should've seen me with a bow. I was trained by Hawkeye." I don't need to mention that I didn't pass his tests.

"You don't need to convince me. Wong said you did a good job despite what you said in your own entries here—your idiocy."

I beam. "I know he likes me. Hey, here is one entry. _Regulation_. Our talk here is really productive."

"I'm glad that I come all the way here as your sounding board."

She says it without any venom but I still feel bad. "I'm so sorry. I really shouldn't ignore you. Let me get you some Oolong tea."

Sophie quickly goes to fetch Oolong tea from the kitchen. She even manages to put it in a tray along with a kettle of hot water and two cups.

"I was only kidding. Your cloak is intelligent and dedicated." Sophie puts a corner of her cloth for Imei to shake. "It is very friendly, too."

I have put the tea inside the pot and let it steep for a few minutes. "She is!" I blush again. "Yes, I use she to address her. She doesn't like that many people so you must be special."

Imei pats my right hand. "I'll be disappointed if you don't call her a she. What's her name?"

I hide my head behind my hands and say softly, "Sophie. It started as a joke."

"That's a fine name. Sophie and I support your effort to finish your task before the deadline. Please continue with your _regulation_ entry."

 _Regulation: Wong loves regulation. He says what would happen to the world without regulation. Anarchy._

I decide to read the entry loud for Imei from now on. She nods.

"Wong usually looks at me meaningfully as he says it. I just want to get things done. I don't actually enjoy breaking rules."

"Dr. Strange, you don't really need my approval or Wong's. As you said, you're effective. Wong just worries about your safety and your health."

"Really? And please call me Stephen. I've embarrassed myself enough in front of you."

"Yes, really. You don't have anything to embarrass about. I like you being you."

"That means you haven't met the old me."

"Now is not the time for self-reproach. Focus. How much time do you have left?"

I look at the clock. "Around three hours left." I start to pull my hair. Literally.

"Stephen, calm down. Do you want my help?"

"I'm not sure whether it's considered cheating."

"So now you care about rules?! There is no one's safety at stake. How about if you ask me questions or I give you suggestions? Will it work better for your conscience?"

I stop pulling my hair out. It's good that the root is strong otherwise I would've been bald a long time ago. "I guess it could work. How do you know Wong? Where did you meet?"

"I was betrothed to him since I was a kid. But when I saw him, it was love at first sight. He was so adorable and cute."

I try to shake the mental image of Wong being adorable. Focus. _A_ and _C_ have been taken. Ah I know, _endearing_.

 _Endearing: Wong can be really endearing once you get past his stoic defense. He is an acquired taste._

I shake my head. I still can't see Wong as endearing but if Imei thinks so, it can be true. That means the second sentence is the qualifying property.

Imei smiles. "It's endearing that you try so hard to understand Wong. You're a good friend."

I feel embarrassed that I didn't even think of getting to know Wong better, just complete the task. "Not really, but I'm going to try from now on."

 _Righteous: Wong is such a righteous person. Despite all the possible corruptions that can happen to a sorcerer, he remains a moral compass among fellow sorcerers._

She nods. "That's actually really insightful. You actually _know_ Wong, the true Wong, not the superficial ones like his hobbies or shoe size."

"I can do with his hobbies and shoe size for now."

"He likes cooking, watching sunset, playing qin, and yoga."

My eyes practically sparkle as I hear that. "Imei, you're such a life saver."

"I'm glad that those answers inspire you."

 _Gourmet: Wong may not cook often but he is a Tibetan gourmet cook._

I have actually tasted Wong's cooking but I'm ashamed to say I completely forgot about it.

 _Watcher: Wong may not like conversations but he is a great watcher. He watches humans, books, nature so he knows a lot about them._

"I can see that you're really getting into the psyche of my fiancé. Perhaps you're not as uninsightful as you'd like believe."

"Don't make out a mountain out of a molehill. Insightful is not in my _A-Z_ list. I'm just inspired by your answers."

 _Qin: Not many people know that but Wong plays qin really well._

"I'm surprised that you actually know about qin. Not many people do. How do you know he plays it well?"

"Despite what my fellow sorcerers would like to believe about me, I didn't spend 100% of my time studying, only 99%. So I still have the 1% time for observation. Thanks to google, I also know that qin is originated from China, not Nepal." I shrug. "As you said, I'm dorky. You wouldn't have mentioned it if he doesn't play qin well."

 _Yoga: Wong keeps his youthful appearance and health because of yoga._

Hmm, perhaps I should practice yoga more often myself. Someone wrote that I'm flexible in my _A-Z_ but at not following rules, not about my body.

"We only have _J_ , _N_ , _U_ , and _X_ left."

"So there is a _we_ now?"

"You've been helping me so yes, we. I'll credit you when I present this to Wong. Is there anything else you can add so I can complete this task?" I slap at my own forehead. "I forget. The tea."

I quickly pour the tea into the two cups and present the first cup to her.

She sips it. "That's actually really good."

I drink my tea. I'm surprised that it tastes good. "I learned from the best. The Ancient One and also Wong. Wong is such a multi-tasker." Suddenly an idea comes to me.

 _Juggler: Wong juggles his tasks really well. He is a Master of Mystic Arts, a librarian, a martial artist, a cook, a watcher, and a healer. He does all these tasks really well._

Imei smiles. "You're doing great. You must be a great student."

"Nah, my teachers mostly say that I'm a pain in the ass because I try to learn everything before the class and ask difficult questions."

"So you are like Hermione."

"Do you read Harry Potter? Of course, you do. You should ask Wong to read them as well so I can make wizard jokes and he would get the references."

"I'm actually surprised that you know Harry Potter yourself. I thought you were the _work hard, no play_ type."

"Are you saying I'm a square? Well, in preparation for operation, I sometime calmed my nerves by listening to audiobooks. Harry Potter audiobooks happened to be around."

"You really don't need to explain yourself. A lot of people have read the books. And yes, I'll get Wong to read them."

"You're such an upfront person. It's very refreshing. Ah, that's what you share in common with Wong."

 _Upfront: Wong is an upfront person. He dares to voice the truths without worrying about consequences._

"You know, you're also very upfront."

"I guess we three have all that in common then."

"I guess so."

"I still have _N_ and _X_. Can you tell me about Wong? For example, where did you go for the first date?"

"You're going to love this. He brought me to see the _Terracota Army_ at Xi'an. He is such a romantic."

I fail to see how it's romantic to see the Terracota Army but again I'm not the best judge. Christine keeps rolling her eyes at the places I suggest to go for dates. I also wonder whether Wong used a sling ring to open a portal to Xi'an or whether he used conventional methods of traveling. I don't want to pry.

"Imei, you're the best."

 _Xi'an: The city which is important for both Wong and Imei because it's the city for their first date._

In my eureka moment, I've also gotten the _U_ part.

 _Understanding: Wong understands and tolerates people. He wouldn't be a great librarian if he weren't although he really shouldn't threaten to maim the patrons._

"You really couldn't get over the maiming part?!"

"Yes, I still have nightmares about that even now."

"I'll let Wong know so he would go easier on you next time."

"That will be a relief. I wasn't being sarcastic. I really don't know whether he was serious even until now."

"I truly wonder how you two get along."

"I think he tolerates me. I tend to annoy him although most of the time I don't mean to."

"That's right." A voice behind me makes me jump.

"Wong, you made it. Just in time too as I just finished your _A-Z_ list."

Imei and Wong approach each other and meet in the middle. They kiss.

I feel like a third wheel. "I'm going to print this somewhere even though the printer is right here. That's right. Just ignore me."

Sophie helps me to carry the printer to the next room while I carry the laptop.

Five minutes later, I knock on the library door.

Wong opens it. "You really don't have to leave the room but I appreciate what you were trying to do."

I present the printout to him. "It's not written with ink on a scroll. I'll make do with what I have." I hide my shaking hands behind me as I sense Imei looking in my direction.

Wong skim through my writing. It's hard to guess what he thinks because of his poker face. Imei put both hands on his right shoulder and lean on him. "Isn't he adorable? Can we adopt him?"

I clear my throat. "I'm still here. I'm not adorable. That only applies for little kids which I definitely am not."

Wong turns to Imei. "Are you sure? He is very hard to get rid of. Like an annoying little brother I never ask for but also want to protect."

"I'm still here and I'm not little. You're only five years older than me. Yes, I went to check for, err, research, yes, definitely, for this project." I actually went to look it up because I did not want to take people in my life for granted like I did in the past. But I have been doing such a poor job. "What do you think about my list?"

"It's a bit crude and basic. I'll give you a B for that. But I give you A+ for efforts. I don't think you can do it but you finish them in less than three hours. I'm impressed."

"Really? I can't really tell from your expression."

Imei swats at Wong. "You're so mean. I'll give him A+ both for contents and efforts. He truly knows you despite his claim."

Wong turns to look at her and smiles. It's quite a scary sight for me. "I presume a lot of the entries had nothing to do with you. I wonder how he knew my hobbies and where we went for our first date."

"I'm still here. And yes, I wouldn't take the full credits. A lot of answers are from Imei."

Imei winks. "I only told you some facts. You formed all those entries yourselves. Shall I frame and hang it in our new house?"

I somehow feel happy when I hear that. What happened to me?

"If you say so. Are you sure?" Wong kisses the top of her head.

"Positive. I don't know why you don't like Stephen. He is quite lovely."

"Are we talking about the same person?"

"I guess I'm a non-entity in my own Sanctum. I'll just go to continue to research about Thanos then. It's not like he has the Black Order that I need to worry about." I walk out of the library to give them some privacy again.

"Where do you think you're going? Aren't you going for lunch with us?" Wong asks.

"I don't want to be a third wheel. Besides, I really want to continue doing my research. Thanks for a short distraction. I quite enjoy it." Surprisingly, I really mean it when I say that.

"Stephen, when was the last time you ate?"

I try to remember the last time I eat but I can't. It might be yesterday or a bit longer than that. I'm not hungry anyway. "I just had tea."

"As a doctor, you should know it's not enough." He turns to Imei. "Do you see the problem now? He is an annoying little brother that I can't help but need to take care of."

I cross my arms in front of my chest. "I can take care of myself." This time Sophie slaps me softly in the face with her collars.

Wong says, "Even the Cloak agrees with me. Come on, Stephen. I'll let you pick the restaurant. It's my treat."

He approaches me and whispers in my ear. "Thanks a lot for the list. Despite what I said earlier, I love it. Also thanks for keeping her company. And don't you grin and say anything. I have a reputation to keep."

He walks back to Imei. "I tell him that if he doesn't come with us for lunch, I'll not overlook all those overdue books."

Imei winks at me again. She seems to know Wong's secret. Of course, she does. "Aren't you two adorable? Let's go for lunch. Some of you might not be hungry but I am."

I start to have this warm fluffy feeling in my chest like I have a real family. I always dismissed it as a myth. Deep down I know it exists although I have denied it for a long time since Donna. Now is a time for celebration. I shouldn't think about the past.

"I know this nice quiet Thai place. Please follow me." I start to draw a portal in the air.

I hear Wong says "So bossy" behind me while Imei giggles.

* * *

 **Notes:**

-This chapter is longer than I plan to write (yes, the story of my writing life). I think I get all the alphabets. Please tell me if I don't.  
-Stephen and Wong might be OOC in order to make this chapter to work. I exaggerated Stephen's dorkiness for comedic effect.  
-Qin is indeed a Chinese zitar instrument. The Terracota Army is located near Xi'an but yes, near Xi'an doesn't sound great.  
-I try to finish the "sillier" stories first so I can focus back on the more "serious" ones. Feedback and comments are welcome


End file.
